iPod touch design principles

The iPod Touch is one of the latest products in Apple Inc.’s iPod range.

Two of the many design principles used in the design of the iPod touch are:
Minimise the Information content of the design
Fitness for Standards

These two principles provide the iPod touch with different qualities and impact the price in different ways.


Reducing the information content allows the user to control/use the device without needing to read the manual from cover to cover, having to take many hours or days trying to figure out what does what. In turn it reduces the learning curve of the product and if well designed will improve the products quality.
The iPod touch does this in a number of ways, the most apparent is the large 3.5in touchscreen that is the main user interface. This removes the need for a large number of buttons on the device for browsing the media it has stored and using the applications found on the device, at the same time allowing application designers to add in the buttons they need and not being limited to a certain set of buttons. When a user first picks up the iPod touch they wont be met with an array of buttons that each have a different function and after reading a quick start manual should be able to play music or videos without hassle.
Another way in which this has been done is by using an accelerometer, this enables the device to know if it is in portrait or landscape orientation and change the screen if required. Browsing music is made easier in landscape mode, by showing the album covers and letting you flick through them by dragging your finger across the screen.
Another advantage that the accelerometer brings is that the device can be used to play games that application developers release, by tilting the device you can control a ball through a maze or a car racing round a track.

This adds to the quality of the device, as the users/developers can expand the purpose of the device through applications which could only be made possible through reducing the information content required to use the device and using the touchscreen and accelerometer to immerse the user into the application with ease.
The touchscreen makes a larger impact then the accelerometer, as it allows a point and tap interface that is extremely easy to use. Non-technically minded people should find it easy to use, as to open the music browser you tap the music icon and done need to navigate using a set of buttons on the device.
This comes at a cost to the end user, adding touchscreen technology and the accelerometer have added to the cost of the device. This cost can be justified by the end user experience and the flexible use of the device, but by many could be seen as to high a cost.
An 8GB iPod touch costs £165, in comparison the 8GB iPod nano costs £107. As a strict media player it may cost to much, but for someone wanting to play games, listen to music, watch videos and much more... the iPod touch is a much better option. (Apple Inc., 2009 a; Apple Inc., 2009 b)



By applying standards to the iPod touch Apple Inc. have produced a dependable product and set a minimal expected level of quality. These standards cover the media formats that can be played, the accessories that the user can use with the iPod Touch, how the device is charged and connected to the computer.

Applying these standards improves the compatibility of the device for its intended use and as such improves the quality of the device as it fulfils its purpose.
If non standard file formats were used it would only appeal to a small section of the market and may take time to become popular or may fail altogether.
The same can be said for the headphones, if a new jack for headphones was produced specifically for the iPod and didn’t allow the use of the standard 3.5mm stereo jack, the success of the product would be questionable. By adhering to the standard 3.5mm stereo jack the ipod can be used with the users favourite headphones, plugged into the car stereo or the home hi-fi with a simple audio lead, providing they accept a compatible connector from the 3.5mm stereo jack.
The impact of these standards on quality and price can both be seen as a positive for the end user. A long term standard is likely to be well defined and reliable and as such portray a higher quality device as it is fit for its purpose and functions correctly. A device that is compatible with your home Wi-Fi network will make it easy to browse the web and download new music and video straight to the iPod touch, while ensuring its a high quality standard that is in use for the connection.
Concerning the price, with standards being used and not developed the development costs of the device are lowered and the overall cost of ownership to the user is lowered. This ensures that the device is built to satisfy long standing standards but at a price which is appropriate and not excessively high.

Bibliography
Apple Inc. (2009 c). Apple (United Kingdom) - iPod touch - Technical Specifications. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from Apple Inc.: http://www.apple.com/uk/ipodtouch/specs.html
Apple Inc. (2009 a). iPod nano - Apple Store (U.K.). Retrieved April 29, 2009, from Apple Inc.: http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/ipod_nano?mco=MTE2NTY
Apple Inc. (2009 b). iPod touch - Apple Store (U.K.). Retrieved April 29, 2009, from Apple Inc.: http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/ipod_touch?mco=MTI5MTI